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Children First!

For over 32 years Frank Fileccia has been helping luxury inn, boutique hotel, resort and restaurant clients achieve their potential.

Children First!Because Children Are The Future. A Ukraine National Children's Charity

During the days of the Soviet Empire, emphasis was placed on the entertainment and wellbeing of the children, and particularly on outdoor activities. Apartment complexes were required to have children's playgrounds, and were responsible for their care and upkeep. Children's parks, with rides, were located in every town and city. Pioneer camps were established for the children to have free, or minimum fee, vacations each summer, and were usually located in areas with water, beaches, and nature (i.e. Black Sea regions).

With the fall of communism and the collapse of the soviet empire, the children have been forgotten. With the hasty and often violent change to wild capitalism, apartments were given to their registered residents. Properties such as Pioneer Camps were sold off to businessmen. Governments no longer have the funds to maintain the previous children's infrastructure and spending in these areas seems to be the first that was cut. The days of FREE were over.

* Apartment playgrounds have fallen into disrepair because of a lack of funds to maintain them. The grass is not cut, equipment is damaged or destroyed, grounds are littered with garbage, used needles, broken bottles. Each year thousands of Children are hurt in playground accidents from faulty equipment and unsanitary condition, occasionally resulting in deaths.

* New apartment complexes are not being built with playgrounds.

* Pioneer camps are now beyond the financial capabilities of most citizens, catering to the affluent. While some companies and government organizations subsidize "Pioneer Camp" holidays for the children of employees, continual fee increases make this subsidy insufficient. And companies or organizations providing subsidies are few and far between.

* Orphanages are fighting desperately for what little funds are available to care for these children. While conditions have improved since the "horror stories" of the 1990's, care for these children is still inadequate, and private donations from citizens are not forthcoming on a regular basis.

* Schools are not being properly maintained or equipment upgraded.

GOALS

Children First! has been designed to step in where the government has failed and provide the knowledge, awareness and financing, to rebuild the crumbling children's infrastructure.

Through corporate donations, Children First! will have 3 areas of primary interest.

2. Finance much needed repairs in orphanages and schools, as well as purchasing needed equipment.

3. Provide pioneer camp subsidies for needy family. It is further envisioned that Children First! would eventually own a pioneer camp, similar to the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation Camps located throughout Canada.

FUNDING

Funding for Children First! is secured through private and corporate donations, Foundation Donations, and Government Grants.

It should be noted, however, that the Ukraine Tax Act does not grant tax deductions for charitable contributions. Therefore, corporate and private donations within Ukraine are extremely low.

The greatest service anyone can do would be to convince the Ukrainian government to amend the tax act to allow for charitable contributions.